Historical villa become Hotel

The building in Corso Garibaldi that currently houses the hotel was originally a noble residence known as Villa San Michele, built in 1900 to a design by Pietro Agosti and owned by the Marquis Borea d'Olmo.

The villa, erected in a period just before the full affirmation of Art Nouveau, anticipates its main reasons, even if an eclectic tendency prevails in the combination of classical and purely decorative elements.

In 1924 the former Shah of Persia, Ahmad Qajar, of the Kadjar dynasty, lived in the villa. He came to Europe in voluntary exile in 1923 after being ousted in 1921 by the military, Minister of War, Reza Khan, founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, who later became Shah under the name of Rezah Palhavi, on 31st October 1925.

After his stay in Matutia, during which he was able to benefit from the particularly mild climate of the Riviera and enjoy its natural beauty, the former Persian sovereign moved to Neuilly, France, where he died prematurely in 1930.

The Villa San Michele then became the Hotel Milano.

(source: from Andrea Gandolfo; private pictures)